A veteran administrator at West Virginia Northern Community College has been named to take over operations of the institution’s Weirton campus.

Mike Koon, a Weirton resident, will hold the title of vice president of workforce development and Weirton campus dean.

In making the announcement, Dr. Martin J. Olshinsky, WVNCC president, said, “I am very pleased that Mike has agreed to continue in his leadership capacity at the Weirton campus. His 37 years of experience at Northern make him an excellent choice to move the campus to even greater standing in the community.”

The Weirton campus is featured prominently in Koon’s experience at Northern. He started at the Weirton campus in 1975 as an instructor of biology and was the Weirton campus dean from 1985-92.

Koon said, “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with employers, our secondary school partners and other stakeholders to continue development of the Weirton campus and our communities. The addition to the Redline Building will enhance our ability to serve local education needs and will be a real asset for the community.”

New classrooms and labs currently are being constructed on campus that will house courses in Mechatronics, which awards an associate in applied science degree in a new program designed to prepare individuals to be electrical and mechanical maintenance technicians, and the health sciences.

From 1992-94, Koon served as chairman, Science/Math/Technology Division, at the college and from 1994 to the present he has been vice president of economic and workforce development, working extensively with numerous employers throughout the Northern Panhandle to develop training programs.

During his nearly four decades at WVNCC, Koon also served as interim president and interim vice president of academic affairs. He is a member of the Weirton United Way Allocations Committee. He is a member of the West Virginia Air Quality Board, a peer reviewer for the national Higher Learning Commission and previously served on the West Virginia Joint Commission for Vocational-Technical Education and the WVNCC Board of Governors.